Spirit-level attachment



(No Model.)

A. SOHNELL. SPIRIT LEVEL ATTACHMENT.

Patented Oct. 23, 1894.

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AUGUST so'HNELL, oF CLINTON, IOWA.

SPIRIT-LEVEL ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,815, dated October23, 1894.

Application filed June 2, 1894. Serial No. 513.286. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, AUGUST ScHNELL, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Clinton, Clinton county, State of Iowa, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Spirit-Level Attachments; and mypreferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in thefollowing full, clear, and exact description, terminating with claimsparticularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to measuring instruments, and more especially toattachments for spirit levels; and the object of the same is to producea pair of such attachments whereby an ordinary spirit level may be usedfor the purpose of laying gas, sewer, and other pipes at the desiredangle to a horizontal, as well as for leveling shafting and othersimilar uses to which the devicemay be put.

To this end the invention consists of certain improvements in thespecific details of construction over Patent No. 517,935, granted to meon April 10, 1894; all as hereinafter more fully described, and asillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is aperspective-view showing my improved spirit level attachment in use.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the attachment having the square slidingblock and the U-form of foot piece. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section onthe line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa side elevation of the attachmenthaving the round sliding block and the V-form of foot piece. Fig. 5 is aplan View showing the construction of any of the attachments.

Each of my improved attachments has at its upper end a half-frame ofsubstantially U-shape comprising one upright side piece 1, a horizontalbottom piece 2 having a horizontal groove or recess 3 in its upper facerunning parallel with the side piece 1, and a second side piece 4.having a horizontal groove or recess 5 in its inner face runningparallel with the recess 3. Within this half-frame is a laterallysliding plate 6 preferably forked at its lower end as at 7 so as toslide upon the bottom piece 2, and the inner face of the sliding plate 6is provided with-a vertical groove or recess 8. Swiveled as at 9 to theback or outer face of this sliding plate is a set screw 10 (which takesthrough an internallyv threaded boss 11 rigidly or integrally securedwithdrawn.

to the outer face of the side piece 1) and having a milled head 12 atits outer end. When this screw is retracted soas'to draw the slidingplate 6 close to the side piece 1,the half-frame will receive anordinary spirit level of the greatest commercial width, and if anarrower spirit level be used the screw 10 is adjusted so that the plate6 will bear against the adjacent face of the level. The latter restsfirmly on the bottom piece 2 at each side of the recess 3, on the sidepiece 4 above and below its horizontal recess 5, and against the slidingplate 6 at each side of its recess 8, whereby any irregularities orinequalities in the three faces of the level thus engaged are spannedover; and the fact that the half-frame is open at its top permits alevel or a long straight-edge of any height to be firmly clamped in thisattachment. This construction of the upper end is employed on both theattachments shown in Fig. 1.

At its lower end one half-frame is continued downward into legs 20 whichare grooved on their inner or adjacent faces asat 21 and which areconnected at their lower ends by two cross bars 22; and the inner edgesof these legs are separated some distance as seen in Figs. 2 and 3,while their front faces are provided with scales or graduation marks 23.

'Sliding within the grooves 21 is a rectangular block 24. which isnarrower than the legs 20 so as to pass between the cross bars 22 attheir lower ends, and one edge of this block is providedwith a groove25. 26 is a set screw taking through a boss 27 on the outer edge of oneof the legs with its tip resting in said groove 25, while its outer endis provided with a milled head 28. The upper and lower ends of thegroove are not carried to the extremities of the block 24, but terminateshort thereof as seen at 29 in Fig. 2 whereby the block will not dropout of the grooves 21 until the set screw is considerably By this meansit will be clear that the set screw may be loosened and the block 24adjusted higher or lower with its upper end moving adjacent the scale 23on the legs 20 as the exigencies of the case may require.

In Fig. 4. I have shown the same construction except that the legs 20are here nearly semi-circular, and the block 24. is-round or cylindricalin cross section. The equivalent of the grooves 21 of Fig. 3 would herebe formed by the curved inner faces of the legs 20 as will be clear, andthe same set screw 26 and upright groove 25 are here employed. It willbe obvious that the advantages of this construction are in every respectthe same as those of the construction illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3; andit will appear that, in addition to those advantages, the set screw canhere be retracted asufficient distance to disengage its tip from thegroove 25, after which the cylindrical block 24 can be turned in itscylindrical seat between the two legs until the foot piece describedbelow shall stand at an angle to the half-frame above described, whichmakes it possible to use the attachment for leveling a pipe around anangle therein.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the two members of the attachment as providedwith foot pieces of different shape--one of which is illustrated in sideelevation in Fig. 2, and the other in side elevation in Fig. 4. I do notlimit myself to either form of foot piece, as I consider each animprovement over the square lower end of the block shown in my formerpatent above referred to.

In Fig. 2, the lowerend of the block is simply provided at its cornerswith downwardly projecting studs 30 which are spaced a consider abledistance so that their inner corners or angles may rest on the upperedge of a pipe of some considerable circumference, or so that a smallerpipe may rest in the fiat portion between these studsboth as indicatedin dotted lines.

In Fig. 4 the studs 30 diverge from the lower end of the block 24 atabout a right angle to each other, whereby their corners would rest on alarge pipe as above described, or a smaller pipe would rest in the anglebetween these two studs and against their flat inner faces, as seen indotted lines.

All parts of this device are of the desired sizes, shapes, materials,and proportions; and such changes in the details of construction may beadopted as do not depart from the essential principles of my invention.The block at the lower end of one member of the attachment is rigidlyconnected with the halfframe as seen in Fig. 1, while the block in theother member is adj ustably connected therewith as above described; andsaid block may be rectangular or round as preferred-either shape ofblock also having either shape of foot piece as preferred.

In use, the two members are attached to the opposite ends of a spiritlevel (or a long straight-edge upon whose center is mounted or supporteda spirit level), the adjustable block is set at the proper mark on thescale 23 and held by its set screw, and the entire device is rested onthe pipe being laid. If

there be a bend in the pipe between the two members of the attachment,the cylindrical block 24 could be turned at an angle with itshalf-frame; and if the turn be a right angle elbow, two of theattachments illustrated in Fig. 4 could be used and the block of eachcould be turned at an angle of forty-five degrees with its half-frame sothat the level or straight-edge would stand diagonally across the pipefrom a point above to a point below said elbow. In fact, if the pipe bevery small or theblocl: 24 of suificient size, the whole could be usedin this oblique manner with the foot piece shown in Fig. 2, since thesize of the space between the two studs 30 is sufficient to permit thepipe to pass between them at quite an angle. In the usual use of thisattachment, however, it will simply be necessary to clamp the twomembers to the opposite ends of a level and set the sliding block atsuch a height that the proper inclination of the pipe will be indicatedby the level when one foot piece is slightly lower than the other. Adegree of inclination greater than can be indicated by the adjustability of the block, can be indicated by bringing the attachmentsnearer together on the level, and vice versa. I consider the grooves orrecesses in the halfframe an important feature in this improvement forthe reasons set forth above, and also the grooves in the sliding blockwhether the latter be rectangular or round. The foot piece is also animprovement when of either construction shown.

What is claimed as new is- 1. An attachment for spirit levels consistingof a half-frame comprising an upright side piece, a horizontal bottompiece having in its upper face a recess parallel with the side piece,and a second upright side piece having in its inner face a horizontalrecess, a vertical sliding plate within this half-frame having anupright recess in its inner face, and a set screw taking through athreaded boss on the first-mentioned side piece and swivelly connectedwith the sliding plate; combined with a block connected with anddepending from the half-frame and having a foot piece at its lowerextremity, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An attachment for spirit levels consisting of a half-frame, and meanssubstantially as described for detachably and adjustably connecting itwith a level; combined with two separated legs depending from saidhalfframe and having grooves in their inner edges, one face of the legsbeing provided with a scale adjacent the space between the legs, a blocksliding in said grooves and itself having a groove in one edge whichterminates short of the upper end of the block, a foot piece at thelower end of the block, and a set screw taking through one leg andresting in the groove in the edge of the block, as and for the purposeset forth. 1

3. An attachment for spirit levels consisting of a half-frame, and meanssubstantially as described for detachably and adjustably connecting itwith a level; combined with a cylindrical portion depending from saidhalfframe and consisting of two separated. legs IIO 10 a foot piecetherefor, which foot piece stands in alignment with the half-frame whenthe set screw engages said groove, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature on this the31st day of [5 May, A. D. 1894.

AUGUST SOHNELL. Witnesses:

OsoAR MAJER, F. E. APEL.

